


Keep your body warm

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Curtain Fic, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 07:09:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't a question for Louis, he knew he'd always drop everything for Harry in a heartbeat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep your body warm

Louis thought Harry had been a little quieter than normal in interviews that day. A quiet Harry was never good, It either meant he was sick or something really bad had happened.

 

The other boys had given him questioning eyes all afternoon, he could usually shrug them off, then again he was usually on the same wave length as Harry. It was one of their longer days, which meant Louis had no time to just stroll up to the younger boy, throw an arm around his waist and demand to be told what had got his pretty face all upset.  
They were the last to be dropped off (Liam was the drop off before them and had demanded to get a text from Louis as soon as he found out what was wrong with their youngest member) and Harry seemed able to remain silent until they reach the inside of their apartment.

 

Suddenly his arms are flailing, he's pacing and there is a long line of nonsense babbling exiting his mouth. Louis perches himself on the couch as he watches the younger boy.

 

His face pales as he hears the words 'girl' 'pregnant' and 'mine' escape Harry's perfect lips. There's a small moment where he freaks out a little. Seeing several headlines flash before his eyes, after all Harry is one of the most known names on the planet. This wasn't good, this wasn't good at all.

 

"Lou.."

 

That was it, that was all Louis needed. Those big green eyes were pleading with him and Harry looked younger in that moment than Louis had ever seen him. He pulls Harry on to the couch beside him, wrapping an arm around his waist to keep him in place.

 

"I'm here, okay? I'm here for whatever you need. Whatever you want to do, whatever she wants from you. I'm here."

 

Louis' lets out a relieved breath as Harry seems to calm at his words.

 

"What do I do?" Harry stammers.

 

"You start from the beginning." Louis suggests. "I'll stick the kettle on."

 

Harry grip is so tight around him that he really doesn't want to let go. He knows he has to though, they need to get through the who, what, where, when and why before they start deciding what to do next. After placing a reassuring kiss to a mess of curls, he untangles himself from long limbs and makes his way over to the kitchen.

 

"What's her name?" Louis asks as he fills the kettle with water.

 

"Amelia."

 

"How do you know her?"

 

"We met at a bar." Harry croaks. "I'm an idiot, you always told me 'If you don't think you need protection then you're too drunk'."

 

True, Louis had told him that. But he could also account for the amount of times he had broken his own rule. During the brief space between Hannah and Eleanor, there were several girls who he had unprotected sex with. It was stupid and dangerous. He was a young lad, he was drunk and just wanted to get laid without a mess of a condom. That was before they were really famous, before there were girls out there who were willing to trick them in to being 'baby daddy's'.

 

"Does she want money?" Louis asks carefully.

 

"No." Harry replies and after a moment. "She said if I don't want the baby then she's going to give it up for adoption."

 

Louis' breath catches for a moment, the thought of not knowing the small version of Harry with big green eyes and bouncing curls. Who could probably wrap Louis around her or his little finger with just one smile.

 

"I couldn't, Lou. I couldn't let some strangers raise my baby."

 

Louis hides his smile as he turns away to place the kettle on the stand. Suddenly a pair of arms wrap around his waist and wet eyes are pressed firmly against the bare skin of his neck.

 

"What do I do?"

 

The way Harry's voice sounded was not what Louis was used to. He had dealt with an upset Harry more times than he would like to remember, this was different though, this couldn't be soothed with a cup of tea and cuddles.

 

"Where does she live?" Louis asks ignoring Harry's question.

 

"Glasgow."

 

There's a moment of silence as Louis thinks. Glasgow isn't exactly up the road, it's more like a six hour drive and an hours plane ride. He doesn't even want to think how Harry had met Amelia. The last time they were in Glasgow was over eight months ago, meaning Harry either went back alone or this girl is further along than Louis initially thought.

 

"Then you need to go to Glasgow, you need to talk to her in person." Louis rubs a soothing hand down Harry's spine as it tenses. "I know it's scary, a lot of things are going to be from now on."

 

"Will you come with me?"

 

"No, you need to go alone at first. I need to talk to the lads and management need to be informed."

 

The more he talks, the more Harry's body seems to tense. Louis pulls back from the hug and grasps the back of Harry's neck with both of his hands, his thumbs rubbing soothingly against the base of Harry's hairline. Just like they do before a show, he pushes his forehead to Harry's and closes his eyes.

 

"I've fucked up." Harry murmurs.

 

"Mistakes are made every day." Louis replies softly. "I'll sort out everyone else, you just go to Amelia. She might not want this baby but that doesn't mean she isn't scared. You need to be strong for her, for the baby. If you need to break, you just call me, okay?"

 

With a small nod from Harry, he's reassured that his calming technique worked. He ghosts his lips across the younger boys cheek before pulling back completely. There are so many people he needs to ring, things need to be cancelled or at least pushed back. For now all he can concentrate on is getting Harry on a plane to Glasgow without having him freak out.

 

"Thank you." Harry hums as Louis helps him pack a bag. Then he's hugging Louis tightly in the lobby of the apartment block, whispering thank you's and I love you's in his ear until a cab pulls up. Louis quickly ushers him in to a cab with a promise that he will be on the next flight out as soon as he had everything sorted on this end. The elevator ride back up to their empty apartment is silent, the only sound echoing his ears as he walks through the door is the kettle whistling from where it had been left to over boil on the stand.

 

***

 

It was almost two am but that didn't stop management calling an emergency meeting. Louis had rang the head of modest, not wanting the bother of working his way through several different assistants to finally get their schedule redirected. As soon as he had mentioned cancelled interviews and a possibility of a cancelled tour, the head of modest (who's name Louis never really remembers or can't be bothered to because they guy's a total arsehole) decides that they need an emergency meeting.

 

Louis is texting Harry when a sleepy Niall wanders in to the large meeting room, followed by a very annoyed/half awake Zayn. He offers the two boys a sorrowful smile as they both slip in to the chairs beside him. Liam is the last of the band to walk in, followed by several members of modest, one of which he seems to be in a deep conversation with.

 

Zayn's head comes down to rest on Louis' shoulder as several people begin to fill up the table. The crowded room waits as Liam and the person he's speaking with to finish their conversation. Zayn's breath is coming out soft against Louis' ear and he's pretty sure the Irish lad to the left of him has fallen asleep in his chair too.

 

The room falls silent and suddenly all eyes are on him. He clears his throat, causing the Irish lad to his left to stir but the Bradford lad on his shoulder to remain completely placid.

 

"Harry's well...Harry is..." He stammers.

 

"We need a break." Liam saves him. "Not long, a few weeks at tops. We get that we're at the top of our game but just take a look at Niall and Zayn. We're exhausted, we haven't had a break since the end of the x factor tour and that was over a year ago."

 

Louis doesn't know if he should thank Liam for saving his butt. Or kick his ass for lying to their entire management, they needed more than a few weeks for Harry to get his head around this. More like eighteen years.

 

There's murmurs coming from around the room as their management confer with each other. The guy Liam was talking to upon entering the room looks more nervous than Louis feels. Liam seems to have masked his face with a reassuring smile and since when did Liam become the one to bare weight of management on his shoulders, that was Louis' job.

 

"Okay."

 

Louis' head shoots up and the guy who had looked nervous was now nodding in his direction. Suddenly everyone is exiting the room and Louis is alone with two sleeping band mates and the third staring at him, wanting answers.

 

"Harry's in Glasgow." Louis blurts.

 

"Is that where she's from?"

 

Louis nods without asking Liam how he found out. The less he knows about Liam's in depth conversations with management, the more he can pretend like they don't happen.

 

"I need to go, to take care of him."

 

"Okay."

 

Just like _them_ , that's the last word Liam says to Louis before pulling a sleepy Zayn from the chair and exiting the room. Louis helps Niall down to where Josh is waiting in a car to take him home. He mumbles something about being in touch before heading to his own car.

 

***

 

Louis rings their lawyers as he waits for his flight, informs him that it's more than likely that their management will be in touch. That he wants to have one hand in everything that is going on, to make sure that Amelia isn't confronted with threats only hours after giving birth. Then he texts his mother to reassure her where he is, if she doesn't hear from him for a few days. Lastly he sends a group text to Niall, Zayn and Liam to make sure that they know he'll keep them updated on what's going on. Then he switches his phone off and throws it in to the bottom of his backpack.

 

Somehow he manages to fall asleep the moment the plane is in the air and isn't waking up until the wheels hit the runaway again. He rings Harry from a payphone in the airport and it takes a few moments of calming the younger boy down until he can get a hotel address out of him.

  
The cab ride from the airport to the hotel is a long one. Louis fills the silence with nonsense babbling about nothing in particular and gives the cabby an extra big tip for his troubles.

 

When he finally gets inside the hotel, he finds Harry waiting for him in the lobby with dishevelled hair and hooded eyes. He instantly pulls the younger boy in to a comforting hug and whispers soothing words against his ear.

 

Louis waits for Harry's breath to come out more even before he pulls back from the hug. He circles his hand around the Harry's bicep as he leads him through the lobby towards the elevator. Harry is pressed heavily in to his side as they ride up to the fifth floor to the hotel room. Louis entwines their fingers as they wait for a couple to leave on the fourth floor, rubbing his thumb soothingly across the top of the other lad's hand.

 

As they enter the hotel room Harry's grip on Louis' hand is deathly. Louis doesn't even attempt to pull away, only leads the younger boy to the bedroom of the suite and tugs him down on to the bed.

 

Their limbs tangle together as if on instinct and Louis strokes his thumb across Harry's cheek to keep him calm.

 

"I'm scared, Lou." Harry says voice small.

 

"I know." Louis replies and then after a beat. "Get some sleep."

 

As Harry buries his face in to Louis' neck, he tries to put himself in his best friends shoes. At twenty, he still feels to young to become a fatther. The thought of being responsible for someone else's life terrifies him. When he was eighteen, he remembered being overly cautious with sex, making sure Hannah was on birth control as well as using a condom. If this had happened to him at that age, even in a committed relationship, he's pretty sure he would of freaked out far worse than Harry is. Even now if he found out he was going to be a father, there would probably be a Louis shaped hole in their apartment door.

  
Louis doesn't know how to comfort someone over something that would make himself freak out. The only thing he knows to do is to take care of Harry, that's easy, it's second nature to him. Letting his brain free of thoughts, he pulls his best friend in closer and tries to sleep without thoughts of tomorrow.

 

***

 

The first time Louis meets Amelia, he thinks he should be shocked. She's a lot older than Harry, by a good eight years if Louis had to guess. Louis was used to Harry picking up older women, they tend to flock to him, especially since the whole Caroline incident. What he didn't expect is of someone of that age so willingly wanting to hand their child over to an eighteen year old.

 

Amelia is petite with dirty blonde hair, tanned skin and bright blue eyes. She was quite beautiful and Louis was sure that the child being brought in to the world by these two people was going to beautiful too. It was kind of inevitable that Harry's child be stunning but it was good to know that he or she would have good genes from their mums side too.

  
They're in a room at private hospital that Harry demanded he be aloud to pay for. Not that Amelia seemed like she needed help with money, she had already booked herself in to the hospital before she had even rang Harry.

 

Louis was right when he guessed that Amelia was further along than he had initially thought. Apparently she was well past her due date and it was the few extra days that had the guilt overwhelm her. There was no adoptive family picked out for the child, if Louis had to guess he would say that it was always in the back of Amelia's mind that she needed to tell Harry.

 

Harry easily slips in to conversation, like he had known this woman his whole life instead of just a one night stand. Louis lets them have a little privacy, saying he'd wait outside and ignored the way Harry's sad eyes followed him out.

 

***

 

It's a few hours later when a tired Louis is being shaken awake in one of the waiting room chairs. Harry's wet eyed but beaming at him with a smile so big it's looks like it's about to break his face.

 

"I'm a dad." Harry breaths heavily against is ear after Louis pulls him in to a hug. "I have a daughter."

 

Louis' slightly speechless, those words sound so foreign coming out of Harry's mouth but at the same time sound so provident.

 

"You have to come and meet her."

 

Harry doesn't give Louis a chance to question it as he's being dragged down the hallway towards Amelia's room. As they enter the room, he spots Amelia on the bed looking completely worn out, with a small bundle of pink held gently in her arms.

 

There's a question in Harry's eyes as he drops Louis wrist and makes his way over to Amelia's side. She doesn't even react, simply moves her arms around to make it easier for Harry to take the baby.

 

As Harry makes his way back over to him, he glances over at Amelia who seems to be smiling at him with a glint her eyes which Louis isn't quite sure how to read. There's a baby being pushed against his chest before he can really think on it any more. The small bundle is still grasped tightly in Harry arms but is now pressed tightly between his and Louis' bodies.

 

"Do you have a name?" Louis asks as his index finger gets lost between the small infants fist. The baby's eyes are closed but even without them she looks the spitting image of Harry, she has his lips and nose.

 

"Not yet." Harry replies looking between the baby and Louis. "Isn't she perfect?"

 

"That's inevitable." Louis grins.

 

Harry gives him one his usual Harry smiles before looking back down at the baby in his arms. Louis' chest tightens slightly as he looks between the boy in front of him and the baby in his arms. If you had asked him a week ago if he would be standing in a hospital with Harry's daughter sleeping peacefully between their bodies, he would have thought you were crazy. This moment, seeing one of the people he loves most in the world cradling what was soon to become his world. This moment felt right.

 

***

 

They stay at the hospital for a few days, to let Harry learn from the people who know exactly how to take care of a newborn. Louis keeps getting these estranged looks from Amelia but decides to ignore them. It's not his place to question her on the decision to give up her child.

 

On the day they're aloud to take the baby (who is still yet to be named, they've taken to calling her 'the baby' until Harry can finally settle on a name.) home, he asks her one simple question. If she would like any contact with Harry or the baby in the near future and when she replies with a hesitated no, he writes down their address and several different numbers she could dial to gain access to them.

 

Harry doesn't want to take the baby on a plane, he claims it's bad for her health to fly at such an early age. Louis just thinks he'll have to name the baby in order to let her fly and Harry isn't quite ready to make a decision. So they're (or Louis is) driving the six hours from Glasgow back to their flat in London.

 

Louis knows decisions will have to be made once they're back at home. Decisions about the bands future, about the little girls future, Harry's future. They had been able to spend the past couple of days ignoring the outside world, just bonding with the new infant. Reality was about to kick back in and Louis wasn't sure he wanted it to.

 

The nurses were really helpful and Louis made a note in the back of his head to make an anonymous donation sent to the hospital. They packed enough bottles for the baby to have on the car ride, gave as many nappies as they could offer and then told Louis the size they would need if they had to stop at a store to get more. They even helped with teaching Harry how to attach the car seat in to the car and the safe way to lift the baby in and out of it.

 

Somehow as well as being googly eyed over Harry bonding with the baby, he had also managed to get everything they needed. Including a car seat and a brand new Volvo. _'it rated highest on of the safest family cars'_ he had told Harry when he had got a curious look, as the guy from the shop pulled it up outside the hospital.

 

Once Louis was satisfied that Harry and the baby were safely in the car, he thanked the nurses for what had to be the fifteenth time. They all offered him motherly smiles and a few kind words. Louis gave them one last smile in return before he climbed in the drivers seat of the Volvo and began their long drive.

 

***

 

"Rosie." Harry says two hours in to the drive. He had started the drive in the passenger seat of the car but as soon as the baby let out a tiny sniffle, he was climbing between the seats to sit with her. For the first hour he had slept with his head resting against the side of the car seat and his large hand cradling the baby's small face. Louis had to make himself concentrate on the road and not the cuteness of Harry's infatuation with his daughter.

 

Louis glances at him curiously in the rear view mirror. Harry gives him a beaming smile, just like the one he had given  Louis when he had first told him he had a daughter. 

 

"Rosie." Louis tests. "Is it short for anything?"

 

"Roseanne," Harry says fussing with the baby's blanket.

 

"Roseanne." Louis tests once more before nodding. "It's suits her. Roseanne Styles."

 

"Roseanne Louise Styles." Harry tells him with his body practically covering the car seat as he coos at his daughter.

 

Louis' heart melts at the thought of Harry wanting him in the baby's life so much that he actually wants her to have his name (or a version of) as her middle name. Louis smiles imagining four years from now taking little Roseanne Louise Styles to her first day at school, with her bouncy brown curls, her big green eyes. She's guaranteed to have her daddy's smile that can make Louis do anything at the drop of a hat. 

 

"Lou.."

 

"Hmm.."

 

"Did I ever thank you."

 

Louis looks back to the rear view mirror to see Harry now sat up straight. His hand is still lost in the car seat but his eyes are no longer lost on his daughter but trained in on Louis'.

 

"You don't have to thank me, man. It's what I'm here for."

 

Harry seems content with Louis' reply and goes back to fussing over his daughter. Which he continues to do for the rest of the drive, meaning the few time Louis stops to pull in to the services, to change Roseanne's nappy on an actual changing table rather than Harry's lap. It takes a lot of encouragement from Louis to stop Harry staring at his daughter long enough to get them out of the car. 

 

By the time they're finally back in familiar territory, it's late and Louis is exhausted from driving. The last of his energy is used telling security at the gate of their private estate that they won't be wanting visitors for the next few days. Then he's helping Harry unstrap Roseanne's car seat and leaning in to the younger boy as the three of them head up to their apartment.

 

Harry barley has time to push the door open before Louis is stumbling through it and heading straight towards his bedroom. The bed feels amazing as he practically face plants it, using his last bit of energy to kick his shoes off.

 

Louis doesn't know how long he's asleep for before the sound of his door opening and scuffling feet wake him up. The brightness of the hallway hurts his eyes as he blinks them open and he can just see the shadow of Harry standing in the doorway with Roseanne clutched to his chest.

 

"Can we sleep with you?" Harry mumbles.

 

It was Harry's first night alone with Roseanne and Louis had left him. Of course he was scared, of course he was going to be coming to his best friend for help. Louis doesn't even think twice before pulling his bed covers back. Harry gently lays Roseanne down on the mattress between them before climbing in the bed himself.

 

Louis slips his arm over Harry's hip as they both just watch the small infant sleep soundly. Being tucked up in bed with Harry and Roseanne is the only place he wants to be, he realises in that moment. As Harry's large hand rests on the small baby's stomachs, her little hand coming up to grasp tightly at his thumb. Louis realises that night, that there is a future they have to think about. But as long as he has Harry and Roseanne, that future can be whatever it wants to be.

 

***

 

The next day is a busy one, the routine of being a new father seems a little more difficult for Harry now he's out of the safety net of the hospital. Louis is helping as much as possible but he had made the mistake of switching his phone back on and it hasn't stopped going off all day.

 

By the time he's rang his mother, the boys, their lawyer and a short call to management it's almost dark outside. Harry had spent the most of the day trying to figure out what was wrong with Roseanne every time she cried. The other part of the day he had spent online (upon Louis' demand) looking for baby furniture. Though Louis is pretty sure he just went to the clothes section of mothercare and ordered a bunch of clothes that Roseanne won't fit in to for a least a year.

 

"We need to start looking for houses." Louis says dropping on to the couch next to Harry.

 

Harry looks from where he's re-dressing Roseanne in to one of the few baby grows the hospital had gave them to look at Louis with furrowed eyebrows.

 

"Surely you're not thinking of raising her in a bachelor pad." Louis frowns.

 

"No, it's just..." Harry trails off as he pushes Roseanne's small fist through the second sleeve. Louis waits for the end of the sentence. only to find out it isn't coming as Harry continues to button up the baby grown with a tight lip.

 

"Lou's coming over." Louis says continuing after Harry gives him a wide eyed look. "We need more formula and I'll be damned if I know what to buy. Plus she said she has some of Lux's old clothes that she can gives us for now."

 

"Just Lou?" Harry asks.

 

"Maybe Lux, she wasn't sure if she could get someone to babysit and such short notice and Tom is on some guys stag due."

 

"Okay." Harry lets out the breath he seemed to be holding and lifts up Roseanne to cradle her to his chest. Louis squeezes his friends shoulder as he heads to the kitchen to switch the kettle on, Lou's been one to demand a cup of tea as soon as she enters any establishment.

 

By the time he's made three cups of the tea, the doorbell is going. The sound of Lou awing over the newborn echoes through the apartment, followed by Lux's demands for Harry's attention. It's probably going to be a hard concept for the one year old to go from having all of Harry's attention any time he's with her, to only have part of it.

 

Louis thinks about multi-tasking three cups of tea out of the kitchen and the he remembers how flighty Lux is now she can walk. Lou and Harry are on the couch when he walks out carrying one of the three cups of tea (he didn't even want to risk carrying two). Roseanne is cuddled in to Lou's arms, wrapped in a pink blanket that he's pretty sure he's seen Lux clutching at one point. Lux is sat on Harry's lap, her favourite teddy clutched in her right hand as she demands his attention by hitting his cheek with the other.

 

Lou offers him a sweet smile as he places the cup on the coffee table. The weight of Louis' shoulder seems to lighten a little as soon as he see's that smile, they seem to relax completely when he catches the actual smile on Harry's face.

 

After two more trips to the kitchen to get the two remaining cups of tea, he asks Lux if she's got any new toys she needs to show him. She's instantly pulling what looks like a McDonald's plastic toy from her pocket. The two settle on the floor, Lux babbling some nonsense as she shows him how the toy works. There's half an ear on Lou's conversation with Harry as she tells him all about the things he'll need, all the things he should expect. Louis doesn't have to look in Harry's direction to know he's slowly freaking out, there's going to be some serious need for damage control once Lou leaves.

 

Which she does eventually, after four more cups of tea. Harry's shoulders are set as Louis turns around from walking Lou and Lux out of the apartment. Roseanne is in the bassinet (one of the many things Lou had gave them) next to the couch. Louis checks to make sure she's still asleep before sitting back on the couch beside Harry.

 

"Everything changes." Harry says.

 

"Not everything.." Louis continues before Harry can question him. "I know what you're going to say.."

 

Harry shakes his head already contemplating what Louis is going to say. "I'm not taking her on the road."

 

"Maybe you don't have too." Louis is about to explain how when Harry interrupts him again. "I'm not leaving her with a nanny either."

 

"Maybe you don't have too." Louis repeats. "Look, we should wait until she's a few months old to sort it out because talking about it now is only adding to your already freaked mind. "

 

Harry is frowning as if to say he thought he was handling it pretty well and Louis smiles at that.

 

"Look if Lou can manage Lux growing up in this lifestyle and she's perfectly fine. I'm sure we can raise Roseanne just the same."

 

That sentence seems to make Harry's facial expression change dramatically and soon he's pulling Louis in to a bone crushing hug. His smile is hidden in the skin of Louis' neck as he repeats the words 'thank you' and 'I love you', just like he had the day Louis stuck him in a cab and sent him to the airport.

 

"I told you I would be here for whatever you need."

 

"I don't think I would have the courage to do it without you." Harry tells him. "You're the reason she's here, Lou. You're the reason I'm going to watch her grow up rather than some strangers."

 

"You're going to be a great dad, Harry."

 

"I will..." He pauses."If I have you."

 

Louis drops back in to the couch and lets Harry fall in to his side. Life isn't going to be easy the next couple of months, or even the next couple of years, raising a child is hard work. The thing that amazes Louis is raising a child with Harry doesn't scare him, they know how each other work, they always have known. Most of the fans think they are a couple because they're so in tune with each other. Maybe Roseanne doesn't have two parents who are in love but that doesn't mean she's not growing up with two people who love each other and who will love her eternally. Roseanne is a part of Harry which in turns means she's a part of Louis as well.

 

***

 

It takes a few days but Louis finds them a house, it's cosy and out of the way of well life really. Louis asks Harry if he wants to come and see the place before he puts in a bid. Harry claims he trusts Louis's judgement and shuts off the phone without a goodbye to tend to a screaming Roseanne.

 

They're moved in a week later, there's still some furnishings Louis wants to get to make the place feel more at home. But here Roseanne has her own room that's opposite the hall from Harry's. There's also a big kitchen which Harry falls in love with in an instant (it's one of the reasons Louis bought the place but he's not telling Harry that) and it's got a big backyard so they could possibly get a dog when Rosie is old enough.

 

It's easy for them so settle in here, out of sight of reality. No one calls them because Louis has turned off both their mobiles and the only few people who have their land line know not to call. The second day they're there Harry is cuddled up with Rosie on the couch while Louis sits at the dining table ordering the last few things he thinks they need to make the place home.

 

The doorbell rings and Louis' pretty sure it's the crib he ordered a few days ago (the bassinet is safe but Louis hates how nervous Harry gets whenever he places Roseanne in it) but instead of the delivery guy he had anticipated, he's met by a very stressed looking Anne Cox.

 

Louis does have chance to open his mouth before he's being pulled in to a deathly tight hug. "Thank you." She whispers against his ear before squeezing him once and taking a step back.

 

"Where's my son?" She demands then corrects herself. "Where's my granddaughter?"

 

"They're in the living room." Louis tells her, leading her through the house after closing the overly large glass door. "There's more than a likely chance that they're both asleep. She was pretty fussy last night."

 

"You're taking care of my angels, Lou?" She smiles and Louis would like to say he didn't know what that smile meant. Except he did and Anne wasn't the only person to ever give him it.

 

"Don't I always." He grins leading her in to the open plan living room.

 

As Louis predicted they find Harry fast asleep on the couch with Rosie cuddled in to his chest, her wet mouth open and closing against the bareness of Harry's chest as she sleeps. Anne awe's for a moment, gently running her fingertips through her sons dishevelled curls. Louis picks up the remote and flicks off the TV that had been viewing a re-run of a sponge bob episode.

 

Louis takes Anne in to the kitchen and fills her in as much as he can without overstepping any marks. Harry walks in over an hour later still shirtless with Roseanne tucked in one arm and his hand rubbing the back of his neck with the other. Louis gives his friend a reassuring smile as he takes the baby and heads in to the living room to bond with her over a footy match.  
  


Harry spends a good few hours chatting with Anne and by the time they're finished Louis can feel himself dosing off on the couch. Roseanne is wriggling against his chest obviously noticing she hadn't been held by Harry longer than she wanted. Anne gently picks up Roseanne and presses a kiss to the young infants cheek before holding her at arms length.

 

"She's got your nose and lips." She tells Harry.

 

"Keep telling him that." Louis mumbles tiredly as Harry settles down on the couch next to him. Harry rolls his eyes at the comment as he drops his arm along the back of the couch for Louis to lean in to him.

 

"I'll be back in a few days, Robin and Gemma really want to meet her." Anne says after a little cuddle with Roseanne (who began fussing after only a few minutes). Harry is making grabby hands for the baby and as soon as Anne hands her over the infant seems to settle.

 

"S'natural." Louis informs Anne is eyes practically closing over with how tired he feels.

 

"I can tell." Anne replies. "You need to look after him too." She whispers to Harry as she leans in to press a kiss to his cheek. Then she presses soft lips to Roseanne's forehead (who had already fallen back to sleep in the comfort of her fathers arms) and a final one to Louis'.

 

"See you in a few days?" Harry asks with prospect in his voice.  
  


"You will." Anne replies defiantly. "Take care of each other and remember you can ring me for anything."

 

Louis wants to be able to move, he wants to walk Anne to the door like a polite host. Only Harry is warm and he's in such a comfortable position that moving is the last thing to do on his list. As the front door clicks shut, he finally lets his eyes close over and sleep consume him.

 

***

 

Roseanne is a month old when Harry finally tells Louis to call management. The phone call doesn't begin well and ends even worse. Louis makes the briefing to Harry a little nicer than how the head (the bastard) of their management had put it.

 

"Basically they're okay with you going public with Rosie as long as you do it under their terms."

 

"What are their terms?"

 

"We're not aloud to be spotted together, the lock down on us being touchy feely in public has now turned to a complete ban. We're not aloud out in public alone together and I'm defiantly not aloud to be seen with Rosie."

 

"Lou.."

 

Louis continues to talk ignoring Harry's protest and his pleading eyes. "The nanny that Lux goes to when we're on tour has agreed to take Rosie as well. Lou agreed to watching her any time we need, if we're on stage or in interviews. There are people willing to help, H. This is the only thing we need to do and it means keeping our career as well as raising Rosie in a healthy environment."

 

"I can't..." Harry croaks.

 

"Harry-"

 

"No, I can't do this without you. I need you, Rosie needs you. You don't understand, we can't survive without you."

 

Harry is almost in full on panic attack in the middle of their kitchen by this point. He's bent over with his hands gripping his knees as he tries to regain his breathing back to a normal in and out. Louis wraps his arms around the younger boy, running his hand gently down Harry's spine in attempts to calm him down.

 

"I'll quit the band." Harry cries. "If that's what it takes to make you stay then I'll do it."

 

"Shh.." Louis soothes. "I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here. To stay."

 

"Don't let them do it, Lou." Harry blinks at him with wet eyes. "Don't let them take control, not again. Not over this."

 

Louis does his usual tactic of trying to calm Harry down by slipping his hands behind the younger lads neck with his thumbs rubbing gently at Harry's hairline. Only this time when Louis pushes his forehead to Harry's, he's extremely conscious of Harry's breath stroking against his lips.

 

"There's a reason they're trying to keep us apart." Harry whispers.

 

Louis knows, he's always known. It was impossible not to know the reason behind why management was keeping them an arms length away from each other. He's just annoyed with himself that it had taken a month of living in a house alone and a baby to make them realise it.

 

Roseanne's loud screeches is what makes them pull apart. There's a silent promise in the way that Louis tightens his grip on Harry's neck before letting go. Management wasn't going to win this time because they weren't just fighting for them any more.

 

***

 

"We're going public with Rosie." Louis tells Liam that night.

 

The boys had been to visit a few times over the past month, well mostly Niall and Liam who are still fighting over who gets to be Rosanne's Godfather. Zayn popped in once but when Harry freaked out about his smoking habits being around the baby, he didn't return (Louis had sent him a three page text apologising for Harry's rudeness the same night). Surprisingly Liam hadn't brought up management or anything to do with the band. Harry told Louis it was because Rosie had special powers of blinking her pretty eyes and making people forget whatever they were thinking.

 

"You're not going to do it the way they want you to, are you?"

 

Louis looks over at Harry who has Roseanne resting on his stomach as he explains to her what she had missed on Emmerdale while she was napping. The sight makes his insides warm. "Not exactly.."

 

"What do you need me to do, Lou?"

 

"Be ready for damage control in case this all goes tits up."

 

"I can do that." Liam sighs. "Be careful okay, you know what they can get like."

 

"Yeah, I know. We've thought it through, we need to be safe for Rosie's sake."

 

"Okay, man. Do what you have to do."

 

Louis presses end on the call and changes his phone over to instagram. There's a wide smile on Harry's face as Louis takes the picture, he captions it 'Roseanne Louise Styles. Welcome the newest members of one direction.' and tags Harry in it for good measure. Then he closes his phone and sets it on the coffee table, cuddles up to Harry on the couch, with Roseanne's little feet now resting on his chest.

 

They fall asleep like that, the three of them wrapped up together on the couch. The dull sound of the TV in the background and continuous buzzing of Louis' phone on the table.

 

***

 

Two days later, with no contact to the outside world, is the firs time they kiss. They're cuddled up on the couch watching 'The Adjustment Bureau' while Roseanne sleeps in her crib upstairs. Louis knows Harry's itching to be sleeping in the bed beside her crib, he tightens his grip around the younger boy in hopes of holding him there for a few more minutes.

 

"We haven't seen the outside world for a long time." Harry mumbles, his face pressed in to Louis' neck.

 

"I kind of like our little bubble." Louis admits.

 

Harry lifts his head up and moves them around so Louis' back is pressed down against the couch, with the younger boy positioned between his legs. Suddenly the breath getting to Louis' lungs has completely disappeared.

 

"I want to take Rosie outside, let her meet people other than the guys and my family." Harry says as if their position hadn't raised Louis' blood pressure so much his cheeks were tinting red.

 

"Social bunny misses all his hipster friends?" Louis jokes.

 

"Dick." Harry replies but he's smiling at Louis. That's all the push Louis seemed to need as he moves his hand from where it was trapped between their bodies, to the back of Harry's neck. There's a flicker between looking at Harry's lips and back up to green eyes, a silent question. When Harry only leans forward, Louis takes the final leap and pulls the younger boys mouth towards his own.

 

The kiss starts off slow as they both try to ease in to a rhythm. Louis' is well aware of Harry's callas fingers suddenly slipping under his shirt to scrape along the bareness of his stomach. But then Harry's lips are parting and Louis is aloud to explore inside, suddenly he wants more than just Harry's fingers on his bare stomach. He wants Harry's hands all over his naked body, wrapped up in bed sheets, exploring each other until the sun shines in the early morning.

 

Louis' feels himself sinking back in to the cushions, his eyes close as Harry's lips trail across his cheekbones and down his neck. The hardness in his pants isn't even worth disguising, he knows he should move before it get's to uncomfortable. Only Harry is warm on top of him with his lips now pressed wetly against the link between Louis' neck and his collar bone. There was no way he was moving, not if it meant Harry's warmth leaving him.

 

"We should have done that two years ago." Harry whispers.

 

"But then we wouldn't have Rosie." Louis tells him, his eyes still closed as his fingers trail across the exposed skin of Harry's back where his t-shirt had risen.

 

Harry moves his head to where his chin is resting on Louis' chest. "You really love her don't you?"

 

"She's a part of you isn't she?"

 

Then Harry is looking at him with those eyes, the ones Louis is pretty sure he'd been trying to ignore for the past two years. Their lips are attached once more and this time there's less want and more need. Louis' lets Harry explore this time, feeling Harry's tongue trace over any inch of his mouth, while his own fingers explore every inch of Harry's bare skin he can get to.

 

It's Roseanne's screeches through the baby monitor that makes them pull apart, just like it had the day Louis had rang management. Harry is up off the couch and bolting up the stairs before Louis really has chance to stop him. Louis lets himself sink back in the cushions of the couch as he hears Harry's voice come over the monitor, hushing Rosie gently. Then he's singing one of Ed's songs and Louis thinks that maybe they do need to get out of the house, they have a lot of friends that Rosie is yet to meet.

 

***

 

When management finally get in touch with them it's not good. Louis sends Harry out of the room because he knows there's going to be yelling and probably not so good things said about Rosie. They want Harry to release a press statement with a story they had come up with about where exactly Rosie had came from. It's made very clear to Louis that the rule on him and Harry being kept apart still stands. Only now Louis is less compliant, he doesn't think even a threat of a lawsuit could keep him away from the two people that had become his life.

 

"What do we do?" Harry asks as Louis hangs up the phone. He's standing in the door of the kitchen, with Rosie in his arms, dressed in a 1d onesie that Niall had demanded they let her wear. The scared look is back in Harry's eyes, just like it was the night he told Louis about Amelia. That look is what pushes Louis to take action (like a lot of Harry's facial expressions) and he's wrapping the two in his arms, as his mind comes up with a plan to finally get rid of their shitty management.

 

Liam was the first person he thinks to ring because Louis was good with dealing with management but Liam was calmer when it really came down to it. Then he calls his mum and sisters, also makes Harry call his family.

 

They spend the night curled up on the couch, like they had for the past month. By the time the next morning roles around, there's more people inside their house than there has been since they bought it. Cameras are being set up along with lights and sound beams, there living room goes from looking like a family room to a TV studio. The other three guys turn up, offering hugs and words of support. Liam makes everyone cups of tea because he's Liam while Zayn and Niall wander around not really knowing what to do.

 

Louis sends Harry to dress Roseanne in one of the prettiest dresses he can find. While he himself lets Lou make him look presentable, while at the same time trying not to freak out.

 

They're being shoved on to the couch once Harry has had his make-up done. They easily fall in to a mould with Harry pressed tight against Louis side and Roseanne settled on Harry's lap, one of her little feet clutched tightly in Louis' hand.

 

"You ready?" He asks Harry gently.

 

Harry takes a deep breath in and straightens Rosie's dress before nodding. "Yeah."

 

The other three lads join them on the couch and Liam's friend Kyle (who is currently studying film at university) nods from behind the camera. The video is short and simple, they announce a few cancelled events before letting Harry introduce Roseanne. They reassure fans that the up coming tour is still a go and that having Roseanne doesn't mean Harry's going to disappear off the face of the earth. Louis ends the video with little speech on how grateful they are for their fans and it's over. Kyle takes his camera and informs Liam that he'll give him a ring once the editing is done.

 

It was as simple as that. There was no lies, no games and nothing to hide any more. Louis felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, they hadn't so much been hiding the past month as much as trying to get used to parenthood. But the fact they might be able to walk outside with Roseanne now and not have to be worried about horrid rumours disgracing her name, it made Louis less anxious.

 

The other boys stay for a few hours, letting Louis and Harry have a break from taking care of the baby. Harry goes upstairs to take a nap while Louis slips in to the downstairs guest room to ring the person he should have rang when this all began.

 

"Hey El.." He says when she picks up on the last ring.

 

There's a moment of silence and Louis chest begins to ache as he counts the seconds that pass. "Hey.."

 

There's another pause. Neither really wanting to be the first to start the conversation when they both know how it's going to end.

 

"They were right weren't they? You're in love with him aren't you?" She asks her voice quiet.

 

Louis wants to tell her everything, what their relationship meant to him. That it wasn't fake for him, he wasn't confused, he wasn't using her. It was just the simplicity of finding his first love and then ignoring it to fall in love with another. It wasn't that he didn't love her, only that the way he felt for Harry was something he couldn't ignore any more. He wants to spends hours trying to explain to her in detail but the words won't come out, the sentences won't form correctly in his head and he's scared to let them escape through his lips.

 

"I'm sorry." He tells her instead.

 

"It's okay." She says and after a beat. "I hope he makes you happy."

 

Louis wants to cry because only he would be able to find someone so accepting. The phone call would have been so much easier if Eleanor had yelled and screamed. If she had acted like a total bitch then he could have moved on. Told himself that there was no one better than Harry (which was true but for completely different reasons) and that letting go of Eleanor was a good decision.

 

"I hope you find happiness." He tells her and then. "I'll see you around."

 

"Yeah." She replied slight humour in her voice. "Bye Louis."

 

"Bye." He says and clicks end call.

 

***

 

"She really doesn't want this brown looking stuff." Louis screws up his nose. "I wouldn't eat it either."

 

Harry glances over his shoulder from where he's currently cooking bacon on the stove in nothing but a pair of boxers (much to Louis' delight). "Well if you make faces like that she's going to think it's something terrible."

 

"Dude, it smells funny too." Louis whines holding the small glass pot out for Harry to smell.

 

Harry does and then makes a face. "Yeah, it does smell disgusting." and then. "Want daddy to mush some banana up for you baby girl?"

 

Roseanne blinks at her father once before a wide smile spreads across her face. Louis still can't help the way his breath catches every time she does that because she does have her daddy's smile, and it seems reserved only for her daddy.

 

"Watch the bacon." Harry tells Louis as he grabs a banana from the bowl and one of Rosie's plastic dishes from the cupboard. Louis keeps one eye on the sizzling pan but easily gets distracted by the way the muscles in Harry's arms move as he mashes up the banana.

 

"How's the bacon?" Harry asks looking up.

 

Louis gets flustered and turns back to find some very burnt bacon resting in the pan. "It might be a little crispy."

 

"Honestly, you have to do one thing." Harry jokes moving over to his daughter, bowl in hand.

 

"It's not my fault you didn't get fat when you became a father." Louis pouts.

 

"Are you blaming me for your bad cooking skills?"

 

"You're distracting!"

 

Harry laughs as he scoops some mashed up banana from the bowl and feeds it to Rosie. Louis moves the pan off the stove on to one of the cold ones and moves across the kitchen to press a kiss to the corner of Harry's lips.

 

"Need to go call Liam."

 

"You always have to call Liam." Harry rolls his eyes, scooping some fallen banana from Rosie's cheek. "I would be worried you were having a heated affair. If you hadn't made it hard for me to walk this morning."

 

Louis blushes. "There's a child present."

 

"She doesn't know what we're talking about. Do you baby?" Harry puts on a childlike voice which makes the young infant giggle with delight.

 

"Liam's not the type for heated affairs." Louis states for no reason in particular. He places a kiss to the top of Rosie's head and another to Harry's lips before heading out of the kitchen in to the spare room.

 

Liam picks up after one ring because he's Liam and he's anal (as Louis had reminded him several times).

 

"Are you done fucking Harry? Are we aloud to be a band again?" Liam says instead of a greeting.

 

"Good morning to you too, it's nice to know my sex life is what you want to discus on this cold December morning."

 

"People are asking for refunds on their tickets, Lou. They think we're going to cancel the tour." Liam voice sounds worried. Not that it doesn't always sound that way when it comes to discussing business. But it sounds like he agrees, like he believes that they are going to cancel the tour and have to refund people their money and that doesn't sit well with Louis.

 

"We're not cancelling the tour." Louis tells him firmly. "Roseanne's going to be seven months old by the time we go on tour, meaning Harry will be more willing to leave her with someone. Plus we've got a few interviews lined up for the beginning of January. We're in Japan the week after new year, for Christ sake Liam stop worrying."

 

"Louis' back." Liam replies simply. "I missed you mate."

 

Louis rolls his eyes and sighs dramatically. "If you start saying I'm whipped then I'm going to threaten more than your manly hood, Payne."

 

"I think it's cute you haven't been able to see anyone but the two of them for the past five months."

 

"Yeah, whatever. Can you tell me why I'm calling you this morning and not currently cuddled up with my boyfriend and baby girl on the couch?"

 

Louis tries not to scream when Liam starts awing over the fact he called Harry his boyfriend and Roseanne his in general. In fact he didn't even notice he had called Roseanne his until Liam starts being a complete dick about it.

 

"Li.."

 

"Oh, yeah. It was just to tell you that the lawsuit fell through, you and Harry are finally free of contract."

 

Louis has to sit down after hearing that. "We are?"

 

"Yeah, man. You're free men, just don't go having sex in public places for Gods sake." He says and then. "And mine."

 

Louis laughs but it isn't because Liam's joke is funny. He laughs because they're finally free, they can do what they want, there's no contract restricting them from anything. They can take Roseanne to the park now and even hold hands while pushing the buggy. Louis doesn't know what to do first, to go and kiss Harry or go and post a photo of them kissing on twitter. Louis shoots Liam a quick goodbye who only giggles in response and choosing the first option goes on search though the house for his boyfriend.

 

Harry's placing Roseanne in her playpen when Louis comes bawling in to the living room, he looks up at Louis with fond smile. Louis' heart can't take it and he's bounding across the living room to pull the younger boy in the most affectionate kiss he's ever given anyone. There are tears in his eyes when they finally pull away and there's a frown on Harry's face as he uses his thumb to wipe them away.

 

Louis leans in to the touch. "We're free."

 

Complete disbelief registers Harry's face for a moment before complete bliss consumes it. He wraps Louis in his arms and buries his face in the older boys neck as he repeats the words Louis had heard many times but never gets tired of. 'I Love You.'

**Author's Note:**

> This probably doesn't make any sense and it's more than likely to have billions of grammatical errors. Ah well! Daddy Harry was to cute to pass up.


End file.
